St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-23
The Social World Is Waking
Up to Be Ready for the
Holidays.
Summary of the Doings OF One
Day Gathered From All .
Sources.
SENDING CHRISTMAS GIFTS.
Clerks at the POstoffice Are Al
most Buried Under Christmas
Bundles.

Clerks at the Postoffice Are Al
most Buried Under Christmas
Bundles.
One of the greatest centers of life
and activity during the holidays is the
postoffice. and daily it is crowded from
morning till night with persons sending
remembranceS to their homes and
friends in the far East and South
"Have you been busy tO-day?' asked
a GLOBE reporter of the attractive lady
clerk in the mailing window yesterday.
"Have | been buSy?" she echoed as
she leaned YEARLY on the counter, Il
have been overwhelmed and have
scarcely had chance TO breathe. See
there" and she pointed to huge pie
of bundles and boxes OF all shapes and
sizes. That pile does not represent
half, and then we have had the regular
mail also to attend to"
christmas PRESENTS" was the query.
"Yes. all of them, and you have no
idea how some of the people coming
here will worry one. L learn with
out asking any questions, a full
history of the life of some one named
Jane, Samanthy. John. ETC., away down
East in some remote spot. One woman
came in and first asked how much a
certain box would take. | told her and
she stood fumbling in her pOcketbook,
all the while telling HE that she was
sending some socks, neckties, ETC., to
her oldest son Bill, who was working in
foundry in the East and who is such
good and dutiful son. All this time the
crowd was increasing about this 200
pounds of avordupoiS, and growing
wild. She was finally busted by main
please ma'am how much will this
take?" asked youthful maiden neatly
dressed, anda flush of pride on her
cheek.
Deity the package was weighed, and
the child was told it would take Is cents.
''Oh. my. I've only got TO- she cried
in diSmay. but nothing daunted the lady
clerk quickly put the remaining stamps
on the package, took cents from her
pocket and turned to the next Gus
toner, who wanted to know how
far Rhode Island was. how long
it would take the package to get there,
when it would be delivered. and would
have asked how his girl would receive it
and the name of the carrier who would
deliver it if the crowd had not hustled
him away, in company with the re-
porter, who stopped at the money order
window.
''Oh, business has increased ten-fold,"
said the money order clerk. "Many
persons send money instead of presents,
and I've had some curious visitors to-
day. Some of them wanted to send
money, but rather seemed to hesitate to
trust the government, and Eve been
head over heels in work all day. Many
people also register their packages, and
that makes additional work all around"
A letter carrier with bundles hanging
all over his sack said: Yes, / have de-
livered dozens of presents this early,
two or three days before Christmas.
People mailed them, probably, away
down East, thinking it would take a
week or two to bring them here. but
they over-estimated the time few days.
You see they are dead anxious that they
reach their destination by Saturday.
This is nothing to what it will be on
Friday and Saturday. and for week
after that the mail will be five times as
large as usual. People write letters,
you know, thanking one another for
presents"
: All through the postOfice everybody
was weary, and by Saturday night will
be about ready to receive collins for
OrpSpntS